(The Center Square) – As lawmakers convene this week in Springfield to finish spring session, legislative priorities continue to differ on both sides of the aisle.
They are expected to pass hundreds of bills and pass a new budget that begins July 1.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said on Monday at an investors meeting in New York that the GOP has not supported the budget process.
“We Democrats balanced the budget. We Democrats are the fiscally responsible party. We’re the ones who got credit upgrades for the state. Republicans voted against every one of those budgets,” Pritzker said.
Illinois Senate Minority Leader John Curran, R-Downers Grove, said his party will vote against budgets that raise taxes on Illinois businesses.
“Go back to the 2021 budget that Republicans did not support that the governor is pointing to and that was a budget that raised significant taxes on business, and has put us behind in this state in competing with neighboring states throughout this nation for business,” Curran said.
Republicans have introduced a package of legislation that is designed to prevent businesses from leaving the state. They include a reduction in fees and various tax breaks.
In its latest ranking, CNBC placed Illinois as the 40th best business-friendly state in the country.
In March, Pritzker said the state is taking in more revenue than expected. He wants to hear from Republicans on the budget and other issues, including possible tax cuts.
“I’ve had conversations across the aisle, Democrats and Republicans, about what we should do going forward in budgets if we see stability in these higher revenues,” Pritzker said.
The spring session wraps up in mid-May.
